Rain clouds, thunderclaps, and a dash of anticipation set the stage for Friday night’s clash between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves at Citi Field—a matchup already brimming with playoff implications and divisional tension. This wasn’t just any ordinary meeting between NL East rivals; it was the first of a three-game series, and both teams had plenty on the line, from wild card dreams to redemption arcs. But before a single pitch was thrown, the weather decided to steal the headlines.
Originally slated for a 7:15 p.m. start on June 12, 2026, the game was thrown into uncertainty as severe thunderstorms swept through Queens. At 6:15 p.m., the Mets announced a delay, and by 7:00 p.m., fans were urged via social media to seek shelter in the concourse. The warning track turned into a virtual river, and the grounds crew scrambled to clear puddles as the rain eased. A double rainbow briefly lit up the sky, offering a whimsical respite for those waiting out the storm—a nod, perhaps, to the two-year anniversary of Grimace’s memorable first pitch at Citi Field. As the weather cleared, the official first pitch was rescheduled for 8:30 p.m., though some outlets later cited 8:45 p.m. as the expected start time, reflecting the ongoing uncertainty as crews hustled to make the field playable.
“The rain is slowing at Citi Field, but the warning track is a river. So this might be a long clean up process before we see Strider/McLean,” tweeted Chelsea Janes, capturing the mood and the challenge facing both teams. Severe weather watches lingered until 9 p.m., but after a 45-minute deluge, the sun peeked out, and baseball was finally back on the agenda.
Once the tarp was off and the field was deemed playable, the focus shifted to the mound, where two pitchers with plenty to prove were set to duel. For the Braves, ace Spencer Strider took the hill, looking to continue his resurgence after an early-season oblique injury. Strider entered the game with a 4-1 record and a 4.00 ERA over seven starts, but his recent outings had been lights-out, boasting a 2.04 ERA and underlying metrics suggesting he was back to his dominant self. “Strider is in a good position to take advantage of New York’s offensive struggles on home soil,” noted one analyst, referencing the Mets’ paltry .228 batting average and 87 wRC+ at Citi Field this season.
On the other side, Nolan McLean got the nod for the Mets. The right-hander, with a 3-4 record and 3.98 ERA, had posted back-to-back solid starts, allowing just two earned runs over 11 innings. But McLean’s underlying numbers—like a 4.29 xERA over his last two appearances and a 4.46 ERA at home—hinted at vulnerability, especially against a Braves lineup that, despite recent power slumps, still ranked among the league’s best in hard-hit rate.
The stakes? Monumental for both squads. The Braves, riding high at 45-23 and nearly 60 percent of the way to last year’s win total, were in command of the division. The Mets, meanwhile, found themselves in the NL East basement at 30-38, still reeling from a brutal 12-game losing streak in April. Yet, as David Stearns observed, “You can make an argument they’re the best team in baseball right now or have played the best in baseball right now. They deserved a lot of credit for that, and we have not. We’ve played inconsistent. Obviously we had a very rough stretch in April that put us behind the eight-ball, and they deserve to be where they are.” For the Mets, this series represented a golden opportunity to reverse their fortunes and claw back into the wild card race, with every divisional contest carrying extra weight due to tie-breaker rules.
The drama wasted no time. In the bottom of the first, Bo Bichette and Juan Soto electrified the home crowd with back-to-back home runs off Strider, launching the Mets to a quick 2-0 lead. Bichette’s blast continued his hot streak, having also homered in the previous game’s first inning. But the Braves, ever resilient, punched right back in the second inning. McLean, after a sharp start, unraveled as the first five Braves batters reached base. A mishandled pickoff throw by Jared Young opened the door for Dominic Smith’s RBI single, and after Austin Riley walked, Mike Yastrzemski delivered another RBI single to even the score. McLean needed 42 pitches to escape the inning, and with Cionel Perez warming in the bullpen, it was clear the Mets’ starter was teetering on the edge.
Both lineups entered the night with something to prove. The Braves, despite their record, had averaged just 4.2 runs over their last five games and sported a modest .168 ISO in the previous two weeks. The Mets, meanwhile, were managing only 3.6 runs per contest over their last six. But both bullpens had been steady: Atlanta’s relievers carried a sparkling 0.93 ERA over the last 17.1 innings, while New York’s relief corps posted a respectable 3.34 xERA in the same span.
Injury updates added another layer of intrigue for the Mets. Francisco Lindor, working his way back from a calf strain suffered in April, was taking live at-bats and simulating defensive innings in a controlled environment. “It’s kind of more like a controlled environment that we’re simulating game action,” manager Carlos Mendoza explained, noting that Lindor would likely need a minor league stint before returning. Jorge Polanco, battling Achilles bursitis, had resumed batting practice and was expected to return to a rehab assignment soon, with plans to serve primarily as designated hitter upon his return.
For fans eager to catch the action, there was a twist: the game was broadcast exclusively on Apple TV as part of the streaming service’s “Friday Night Baseball” package. No traditional TV broadcast was available, so viewers needed to tune in via the Apple TV app or tv.apple.com, with new subscribers eligible for a seven-day free trial. The digital-only broadcast underscored the changing landscape of sports media, with MLB increasingly leaning into streaming platforms for marquee matchups.
With the weather finally cooperating and the game underway, all eyes were on the field to see if the Mets could capitalize on their early lead or if the Braves would flex their divisional muscle yet again. As the first game of the series unfolded, every at-bat, every pitch, and every managerial move felt magnified—especially with the wild card race and divisional pride hanging in the balance.
As of press time, the action at Citi Field was ongoing, with both teams fighting not just the scoreboard but the weight of their respective seasons. Rain delays, offensive fireworks, and high-stakes baseball—Friday night in Queens had it all, and with two more games to come in the series, the story is far from over.